If I am being entirely honest I fell in love with Killing Thyme as soon as I'd finished watching it. As if the fact that it stars Brian Cox and Charlotte Riley wasn't enough, its clever portrayal of a child's view upon death and his relationship with a man who is living, in his eyes, on the brink of death is both terrifying and heart-warming. The title gives it all away really, and I love how great of a play on words it is. When I was first presented with the idea behind Killing Thyme I questioned how a film could ever be successful if it was based around an allotment, yet they've managed to make the one thing I thought would be boring into an entirely captivating watch.
As soon as it opens with establishing shots of London, and a boy running through its streets doing things all little boys do, the audience can tell this boy is simply a small fish in a massive pond. His fascination of plants is unusual for someone of his age, seen as it is so often associated with old age, which only makes him all the more interesting. The film constantly reminds the audience of Sam's naivety, which is contrasted with the fact that he's had to look after himself, because he has had no male role model.
The film revolves around the theme of life and death, and is there ever a point that you give up living. Norman is the prime example of someone who has given up. Is it because he lacks the purpose he once had? Or is it because he has lost many of the people he loved? Either way, Norman has been tricked by society into believing his life is no longer worth living because he is not as physically able as he once was. The sweet innocence of Sam crossed with Norman's pessimistic look upon life creates the perfect atmosphere for the next twist in the plot. While Norman has been introducing Sam to the 'darker' side of life, e.g. alcohol, death, he has not realised how much Sam has really been paying attention, which leads to the idea that is planted into Sam's head.
Killing Thyme ends on a high note with Norman realising that the words he had spoken to Sam were hollow words, so when he was confronted with the immensity of death he realised that he had been wasting his life away. The beauty that he is then the one to use the word 'we' to speak about the two of them, makes the audience notice that he has created an unspoken friendship between himself and Sam. This ending leaves the audience with the message that no matter how old we get, we should live our lives to the full no matter what.
As a whole Killing Thyme has been magnificently created, with the music and shots helping to build tension where it was needed. It is an inspirational and thought-provoking short film, which I would most definitely watch again and again.
As soon as it opens with establishing shots of London, and a boy running through its streets doing things all little boys do, the audience can tell this boy is simply a small fish in a massive pond. His fascination of plants is unusual for someone of his age, seen as it is so often associated with old age, which only makes him all the more interesting. The film constantly reminds the audience of Sam's naivety, which is contrasted with the fact that he's had to look after himself, because he has had no male role model.
The film revolves around the theme of life and death, and is there ever a point that you give up living. Norman is the prime example of someone who has given up. Is it because he lacks the purpose he once had? Or is it because he has lost many of the people he loved? Either way, Norman has been tricked by society into believing his life is no longer worth living because he is not as physically able as he once was. The sweet innocence of Sam crossed with Norman's pessimistic look upon life creates the perfect atmosphere for the next twist in the plot. While Norman has been introducing Sam to the 'darker' side of life, e.g. alcohol, death, he has not realised how much Sam has really been paying attention, which leads to the idea that is planted into Sam's head.
Killing Thyme ends on a high note with Norman realising that the words he had spoken to Sam were hollow words, so when he was confronted with the immensity of death he realised that he had been wasting his life away. The beauty that he is then the one to use the word 'we' to speak about the two of them, makes the audience notice that he has created an unspoken friendship between himself and Sam. This ending leaves the audience with the message that no matter how old we get, we should live our lives to the full no matter what.
As a whole Killing Thyme has been magnificently created, with the music and shots helping to build tension where it was needed. It is an inspirational and thought-provoking short film, which I would most definitely watch again and again.